The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Question answered
The photograph above appeared in the column some time ago and a regular reader has responded. We had asked the question: “Why not use the bridge?” Our reader provides an answer.
“Towards the end of July 1971, construction workers gathered to build a steel footbridge from Tayside House over three lanes of traffic, towards a car park and the Olympia Leisure Centre in Dundee,” he says. “It was part of the plan to provide pedestrian access from City Square.
“Construction design was made within Tayside House for a corridor about 30 feet above ground level. This was to be connected along the existing corridor between the Caird and Marryat halls.
“However, the ‘breakthrough’ from the halls was never made. The steel bridge was to allow pedestrians to have mostly level access after using the Tayside House escalator.
“On a summer Sunday, my family and I watched as the steel bridge units were craned into position. As a Tayside Regional Council employee, I had special access to a conference area at the corner of my office. The two main Marketgait South carriageways and the eastbound access road to the Tay Road Bridge had been closed.
“We had a grand view,” he says. “The car park had been closed to accept delivery and temporary storage of the prepared units of the bridge. There were several heavy bridge sections and the flights of steps, with landings, required to gain access to the car park and to the entrance terrace of the leisure centre.
“Added to this was the bridge part which was to join the ramped path leading from the gardens in Dock Street to the west of Tayside House on to the first bridge span leading from Tayside House at an angle.
“The day was well planned and all the sections were hoisted and fixed into position. Except, that is, the sloping ramp link bridge. It was almost last to be installed but, after a lengthy time while it was suspended from the crane, trying to fit the section this way and that, it was decided that the unit was the wrong dimension.
“The long-loader lorry was brought back to site and loaded the offending piece for return to the original fabrication business. The exercise had to be repeated at a later date when a section of the correct dimensions was eventually installed. The photograph (of July 29 1971) could have been taken during the time that the bridge was incomplete and there was a large hole on the side where the faulty ramp part of the bridge was missing.
“The temporary footbridge from Dock Street to the car park had already been removed and could not be used during this delay, hence the Pedestrians Look Before Crossing sign.”